AGP, BJP bite dust in Panchayat polls

GUWAHATI, Jan 5 – It is almost final now, only some formalities remain to be completed to make a formal and conclusive announcement. The Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have been made to bite the dust in the recently concluded panchayat elections of the State. According to the information available with the State Election Commission office here till 7.30 this evening, of the total 299 seats for the Zilla Parishad Member, results of which have been declared, AGP has won only eight seats and the BJP only 17, while the Congress has bagged a whopping 243 numbers of the seats and the independents trailing it with 28 seats. Of the 1367 seats for Anchalik Parishad Members, AGP has secured only 71, BJP 98, independents 226 and the Congress again the astronomical 951. In the case of 1,669 seats for the Gaon Panchayat Presidents, the AGP could secure 100 seats, BJP 85, independents 455 and the Congress–983. Among the 10,000 seats for Gaon Panchayat members, AGP came a cropper with 1,076, closely followed by the BJP with 1,034. Independents secured 1,973 of these seats, while the Congress won 5,600 of these seats.